≡-Hisarya Seeks EHTTA Membership To Enhance Bulgaria’s Spa Tourism And Heritage – Viral of Today

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Home » EUROPE » Hisarya Seeks EHTTA Membership To Enhance Bulgaria’s Spa Tourism And Heritage Friday, July 11, 2025Hisarya, Bulgaria — 11th of July 2025 — As a planned initiative to establish Bulgaria as a first-class spa tourist destination, Hisarya, an old and highly preserved balneologically relevant town of the nation, has been nominated as a member candidate of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA). On 11th of July 2025, Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh, EHTTA Chair Hans Hornik, and Hisarya Mayor Iva Valcheva all came together at the Ministry of Tourism to speak about the qualification of the town as a member as well as the privileges which the town can gain.The Hisarya town is a mythical Bulgarian medical and wellness tourist center, full of Roman past and with plenty of mineral springs. The motivation behind these negotiations is to get Hisarya into the prestigious EHTTA group, which gathers European ancient thermal towns famous for their healing and cultural heritage.Historical Significance and Spa Culture of HisaryaItsarya is one of the oldest and largest Bulgarian balneological (spa) resorts, with the therapeutic use of its thermal waters stretching as far as the age of the Romans. Hisarya town is set near the second-largest Bulgarian city, Plovdiv, and contains a number of ancient Roman-period baths, fortifications, and monuments, which indicate the town’s ancient importance. Archaeological study shows the practice of thermal water at Hisarya extending as far back as the age of the Roman Empire, with major infrastructure such as the Roman Baths still standing to the present day. Such baths were a part of a wider system of public health intended to encourage wellness through the therapeutic use of water.Its thermal area has 16 mineral springs and 6 drilled wells, which provide waters containing minerals like sulfur, magnesium, calcium, and sodium. According to these features, Hisarya becomes a center of provision of therapeutic treatment for diseases like musculoskeletal disorders, the skin disorders, and the respiratory diseases.Its age-old tradition of balneotherapy makes Hisarya a prime candidate for EHTTA membership, which connects towns and cities sharing similar spa cultures. Membership with EHTTA would grant Hisarya a platform to develop its spa tourism infrastructure, have its historical thermal culture recognized, and enjoy extra international visibility.Rising Destination: Hisarya’s Tourism BoomHisarya has experienced breathtaking growth in tourist numbers over recent years, thereby establishing itself as a significant wellness tourist center. During 2024, the town welcomed a total of 150,000 visitors, with a sizeable number arriving from Israel, Germany, Turkey, Romania, and Greece. The first half of 2025 has been better still, as a total of nearly 93,000 visitors came to Hisarya — a 39% improvement compared to the first half of 2024. Such a surge indicates a spreading international interest in the therapeutic waters of the town and the mixture of health and wellness provision with the town’s attractive cultural offerings.This surge in visitors can be explained both by the area’s inherent beauty as well as the expansion of Hisarya’s tourist infrastructure, which itself has been renovated over the past several years to receive larger numbers of visitors. Thus, Hisarya now boasts new spa hotels, medical facilities, as well as health retreats that appeal to visitors for short periods as well as longer periods for health reasons. Hisarya’s convenient location close to major European markets, combined with the general rise of the Bulgarian tourist sector, makes Hisarya an attractive prospect for further tourist investment.Membership of EHTTA: the case of HisaryaEHTTA is a European organisation which links old towns and cities renowned for their spa traditions and cultural heritage. EHTTA was founded in 2009 in Brussels, and the organisation now has 50 members representing 18 European countries. EHTTA’s main activity is the defense, promotion, and development of the cultural and thermal heritage of European old towns with a long history of balneology. EHTTA is the official partner of the Council of Europe and an affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization, and it has a vigorous activity aimed at the promotion of spa tourism throughout all of Europe, as well as the establishment of networking possibilities for members.Membership of EHTTA would offer Hisarya the following significant advantages:Greater Recognition: Hisarya would become a part of a select group of European towns sharing a common interest for thermal tourism, hence gaining wider international publicity.Cultural and Heritage Promotion:Membership of EHTTA would allow Hisarya to promote its ancient past as a Roman town and ancient spa culture, which could offer a means of cultural exchange with other European historic towns.Networking and Partnerships:EHTTA members collaborate on initiatives involving sustainable tourism, wellness tourism, and management of cultural heritage. Membership for Hisarya could permit new affiliations and information sharing with other major European spa cities.Support for Tourism Development:EHTTA offers access to best international practices for the development of tourism infrastructure, sustainability, and management of the heritage, which could help Hisarya’s expanding tourism industry.Hisarya’s Contribution to Bulgaria’s Tourism PolicyBulgaria’s Tourism Ministry has been keen to see the potential of balneotherapy and medical tourism, at least, in regions like Hisarya, which have therapeutic mineral waters as well as great history and culture attractions. Minister Miroslav Borshosh reinforced the point that diversifying the Bulgarian tourist portfolio by going after medical, cultural, and wellness tourism remains the number-one mission of the ministry. He explained that it fits the country’s broader strategy of expanding the regional tourist base as a means to spur economic growth as well as create new employments.“Resort town development such as Hisarya is inevitable for the tourist sector’s future,” said Minister Borshosh. “Through such cooperation as the EHTTA partnership, we strive to promote Bulgarian resort towns at a European level.”The Tourism Ministry has been actively helping spa resort facilities upgrade their infrastructure, launch focused marketing efforts, and receive investment incentives for the sector. All these are intended to boost the competitiveness of Bulgaria as a health tourist destination, to encourage tourists from the whole of Europe, and indeed, the wider international area.Looking Ahead: Future of Hisarya as a Spa Tourism DestinationIf Hisarya becomes a member of EHTTA, the tourist sector of the town will benefit even more with international visitors and investment. By virtue of having a past as a balneological center during the times of the Romans as well as modern spa facilities, the town has a robust reputation as a competing wellness as well as culture/heritage tourist destination. With additional investment for tourist infrastructure and wider marketing of the differentiated offer, Hisarya could become the European health and wellness number one tourist destination. Moreover, the cooperation with EHTTA will yet further brand it as a destination on the international map of tourism, attractive to a wider range of visitors seeking therapeutic treatments, cultural experiences, as well as an emotional connection to the past.ConclusionHisarya’s aspiration to become a member of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association is a progressive initiative to bolster the town’s tourist credentials and solidify the image of Bulgaria as a principal European spa tourist center. Hisarya, through a history which can be tracked down to the Romans, a complete array of current spa facilities, and a tourist infrastructure which is expanding, is adequately positioned to benefit from the association’s knowledge and networking. While Bulgaria aims at branding its balneological and wellness tourism, Hisarya’s EHTTA membership would indicate the country’s intentions for sustainable as well as culture-driven tourist expansion.Tags: Adana, bulgaria, Bulgaria spa tourism, EHTTA membership, Europe, greece, health tourism, Hisarya, Israel, Mersin, Plovdiv, romania, thermal heritage, Turkey

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